We Connect with Jennifer McGinnis

Support & Resources are desparately needed now more than ever! Our communities continue to lose loved ones to suicide at an escalutated rate never seen before. Our guest Jennifer McGinnis is from the Suicide Grief Support Saskatoon which began in the early 1990s as part of a masters thesis. It was conducted by Jeannette Ambrose, an extraordinarily accomplished registered psychologist in Saskatoon. During this, Jeanette identified a great need for support for those grieving a suicide loss in Saskatoon. A suicide loss survivor herself, Jeannette remains a clinical consultant and trainer, and developed valuable training materials for the group.
A little bit about Jennifer as she lost her sister Colleen to suicide in 2006. As her closest friend and biggest supporter, losing her impacted Jennifer on so many levels. The fact that her death was by suicide compounded the devestation. The trauma that came along this complicated grief took many forms, and healing has been a lasting and ongoing process with a lot of stumbles and learning along the way. Now for the last twelve years, she has volunteered as trained facilitator with Suicide Grief Support Saskatoon, a peer support group who provides a space for those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Aside from her peer support work, she works full time in law enforcement, mother of two super awesome kids, member of her community's fire dept as a medical first responder – and somehow her “mental health stuff” works its way into every role in her life. She always thought it was neat how your path kind of finds you - even if it is not your primary career identity. People always seem to ask "what do you do?", meaning what is your career title. Jennifer finds that she identifies with the other roles so much more than what she does for a living.
We will be discussing topics such as suicide bereavement, and importance of peer support as a unique healing care componant after a complicated and traumatic loss. The different aspects of suicide grief and the aggravating factors - what makes it different and what makes it so difficult.
Experencing the loss of a loved one to suicide, and how surviving that traumatic loss can lead to the ability to help others in a peer support role. Jennifer will discuss her own experience with losing a loved one to suicide and her own experience with mental illness....
We are asking and looking for support and reosurces...well here it is! Do not miss!